Platycerium bifurcatum

Staghorn fern

The common elkhorn or staghorn fern of coastal eastern Australia, which grows on trees and boulders from rainforest to open forest. Its round shield fronds clasp the support and collect litter, and the forked fertile fronds hang outward. That makes it the easiest staghorn to grow and tolerant of a cool, drier winter rest.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows on trees (epiphyte)

Where it grows wild

Epiphytic on trunks and branches, and in the south often lithophytic, forming large masses on boulders and rock faces. In New South Wales and southern Queensland it grows in several forest types, including swamp forest and open forest as well as rainforest. In north Queensland it grows mainly on trees in montane rainforest. The shield fronds build up a moist humus pad against the host.

Few records carry an elevation. It is mainly coastal and near-coastal at low elevations in the south, and in the north it is found in montane rainforest on the ranges, where it is cooler than the coastal lowlands.

Australia: QueenslandAustralia: New South WalesNorfolk IslandNew CaledoniaIndonesia: Java, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Islands

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.